DIY: Natural wooden floor restoration

I even don’t know how to call it! Restoration or finishing! This wooden floor was left unfinished for more than 6 years. We moved in 3 years ago and decide not to finish it (sand it). Linna was just born and Nelle was only 2 years old. I had no time nor willing to do that. Now we decide to treat it with flaxseed oil.

The floor is good enough, there are no splinters and all the floorboards are even. So. After this natural finish with the flaxseed oil, the homeowners still can sand the floor if they want to. But for us, hot soapy water and brush did all the magic.

Dirty vs Clean

First. Clean it. Before starting to scrub with soapy water clean all the gaps between boards if you have them.

Scrub all the dirt off with the soapy water and scrubbing brush.And I was surprised when I saw the result! Have we walked that dirty floor all this time before!? I thought it’s how it is! I cleaned it on regular basis but never scrubbed like a crazy woman before! I even had to ask for help to Janis! It was a hard work (we didn’t use a sander to avoid wooden dust).

Second. Let it dry for a day. It should be completely dry before applying flaxseed oil.

Treated (right before wiping off the excess) vs Clean

Third. Apply flaxseed oil according to instructions on the packaging. In mine case: Heat the flaxseed oil till it reaches 40°- 60° C apply using paintbrush or roller. At the end, I used a paper towel and find it quicker. After 20-30 minutes wipe off the excess. Let it dry for 24 h.

I cleaned almost all the floor and then remembered that I wanted to make before vs after pic, treated vs last few centimeters of the dirty floor.

And we are done with the wooden flooring. I loved how it looked before applying flaxseed oil, but the oil coating makes it easier to clean and protects a little bit.